How to Stay Fit on the Mission Field
Staying Fit is something I really value. When I first signed up to go on the mission field traveling to 11 different countries in 11 months, I didn’t know how realistic staying fit was going to be.
I’m writing to encourage future missionaries that it is possible. Maybe not to the degree you would like but much more than you would imagine.
Things you can’t avoid:
1)When Contacts Prepare Your Food
-We want to eat whatever is in front of us for the most part. Many times, contacts don’t have a lot to offer and they give what they have, preparing it with love.
-If you don’t eat what they give you then you may not have access to other sources of food.
What to Do: Limit the amount of food you eat.
This sounds simple but many times when we feel we don’t have control over the specific foods we eat, we don’t show control in the amount of food we eat.
2)Schedule
-Ministry changes month to month. Some months ministry starts at 7am and others 10pm.
It can be super tough to establish a consistent schedule.
What to Do: As best as possible figure out the ministry schedule at the beginning of the month and set times and days you will workout and stick to them. Some days you may workout for an hour and a half and others only 20 min, but get what you can in when you can.
3)Location
-Some of the ministries you serve in are blessed to have tons of land and others have an 8×8 room you can’t leave.
What to Do: Get creative. Do what you can where you can. It makes workouts fun when you can get creative and use the resources you have around you to workout. All of a sudden a brick no longer becomes just a brick and a bucket becomes so much more than a bucket. It becomes an instrument to take care of your body.
4)Not Having a Buddy
-The World Race has a strict buddy system. You or anyone else cannot be alone for safety reasons. You have to have a buddy with you. (The buddy system is a good idea whether your serving overseas with the World Race or not) This can create a problem if you want to workout and no one else does.
What to Do: Create community. We get a super sweet opportunity to live in amazing community. A large part of why people sign up for the Race is they want to grow and they should be growing. They want to be pushed and molded into the people God wants them to be. Invite others into a more healthy life style. Push them into it within reason. If you still can’t find a buddy ask someone to take a book, journal or iPod and join you while you workout.
More Tips
Bands:
If possible buy yourself a set of Workout Bands. They are super easy to pack and easy to use anywhere.
If you want to get luxuries and have the space, buy an ab wheel. They disassemble easily and can fit in most places.
You can find supplements in most major cities. If taking supplements is important to you, put aside a bit more money than usual because most places charge more than the United States.
Some of The Workouts We Did
I enjoy targeting specific muscle groups. For example: Back and Biceps, Chest and Triceps, Legs and Abs, Shoulders. I like to do Abs with each workout. Some don’t and want to give their Abs more rest. See what works best for you.
If schedule only allows you to workout two to three times a week you can do total body workouts each time.
I enjoy the 1,000 rep workout by Cory Gregory. I modify it depending where I’m living at that moment.
-Push Ups-100 reps
-Pull Ups- 100 reps (use a ledge, a bar, remember to get creative)
If you’re unable to do pull ups, do pull downs with the bands
-Body Weight Squats- 100 reps
-Lunges- 100 reps each leg
-Calf Raises- 100 reps
-Military Press- 100 reps
-Tricep Extensions- 100 reps
-Crunches or AbWheels- 100 reps
-Bicep Curls- 100 reps
-Upright Rows- 100 reps (this exercise causes your traps to get bigger; some women prefer not to grow their traps; If that is the case then substitute this exercise for another ab workout)
This workout is a bit tough. Start at a level you can do and work up from there. Example: do 10 reps of each exercise and the following week do 15 reps.
Photos
I’ve been super blessed to have an amazing bond with the men of A Squad. Below are some photos of them working out. I’ve even included a few before and after photos during Manistry month 8 of the race in Malaysia. These before and after photos were taken over the course of 4 weeks and we did not have control over our food selection.
